Cranberry, West Virginia, US

AA (Upper): Above Cranberry Rec. Area to Cranberry Rec. Area

Usual Difficulty	I-III (for normal flows)
Length	15 Miles
Avg. Gradient	58 fpm
Max Gradient	58 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
CRANBERRY RIVER NEAR RICHWOOD, WV
usgs-03187500	4.60 - 5.50 ft	I-III	00h57m	2.99 ft (rc= -1.8 )

River Description

Putin: FS 102 (carry in from the locked gate)

Takeout: FS 76 at Cranberry Rec Area

This is a beautiful section of river that begins high in the Monongahela National Forest. After parking your car at the end of FS 102 (there is a locked gate stopping motorized traffic), you'll need to shoulder your boat and continue a half mile or so down the road until you see the river on the right. You'll be putting in on the South Fork of the Cranberry. For the first few miles of the run the small stream meanders through brush and over beaver dams. There are beautiful mountain vistas in all directions. The South Fork of the Cranberry drains the Cranberry Glades, which is a sparsely forested alpine marsh famous for it's flora and fauna that are usually found at far northern lattitudes. Keep in mind when running this section that it is always much colder up here than you think it's going to be, so dress accordingly. Eventually the river picks up steam as it enters the forest, and the gradient remains consistent for the remainder of the run. The stream is busy but not threatning, and there was one Class III rapid that is obviously run on the right. An old railroad grade follows the river for the entirety of the run. Chances are you'll see numerous fly fishermen throughout the course of the day. Keep an eye out for trees and enjoy the remarkable scenery of this wilderness run. The climate along with the flora and fauna change drastically from start to finish as you make your way from the high alpine swamp into a beautiful hardwood forest. The river mellows out for the last couple miles of the run and you'll notice a parking lot on the right that serves as a takeout.

If you want to add some spice to your life continue downstream and run the six mile middle section of the Cranberry. If the river was high enough for you to navigate the upper section, then the middle should be BEEFY and approaching Class V. The two sections combine to form a 21 mile stretch of river that takes around five hours to float.